Zena building could host music school with ties to Woodstock festival promoter Michael Lang

ZENA >> A group that has bid $926,000 for the former Zena Elementary School building is interested in providing some space for Woodstock Day School activities and possibly having the music school Paul Green’s Rock Academy as a tenant, according to town of Woodstock and day school representatives.

A day school official said Michael Lang — who co-promoted the 1969, 1994 and 1999 Woodstock music festivals — has an “involvement” with the Green proposal.

Earlier this month, a group called Zena 4 Corners LLC submitted the only bid for the 50,385-square-foot Zena building, which the Kingston school district stopped using as an elementary school in June. Papers filed by the group were signed by Lysbeth Ackerman Kursh, a Woodstock Day School board member.

Kursh and husband, Stephen, are listed in corporation papers as living at 241 Hallihnan Hill Road in the town of Kingston. Neither returned a reporter’s calls seeking comment on the proposed purchase.

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Woodstock Day School board President Barry Price said the Kurshes are acting independently of the school and that other board members have not been told of the plan.

Of Lang’s role, Price said: “My understanding is that Michael Lang’s involvement is on behalf of Paul Green and his Rock Academy.”

“I know that Steve is looking to buy it and make it available for the benefit of the community,” Price said of the Kursh proposal. “The Woodstock Day School has an interest, but more in the athletic fields and gymnasium, and the balance of it is something that he’s talking to Michael Lang and Paul Green about as potential tenants for a music school.”

Paul Green’s Rock Academy currently operates on state Route 212 in Saugerties, and the Woodstock Day School is about 2.7 miles from the Zena building.

Town of Woodstock Supervisor Jeremy Wilber said he has been told about the music school, Lang’s involvement and the use of fields by the Woodstock Day School.

“I know the neighbors out there are very happy because they want the building to continue to be used for a school and welcome every opportunity for community use of the facilities,” he said.

Kingston school district officials declined to comment on information given to them about planned uses for the Zena building but acknowledged being familiar with Lang’s connection.

Attorney Rod Futerfas, who is representing Zena 4 Corners LLC, declined to answer questions about the plans for the school building, saying publicity in advance of negotiations with the Kingston school board could put the sale in jeopardy.

“This is a very delicate situation,” he said. “We put in a bid, and the bid had contingencies in it, and there is still an awful lot to be worked out.”

Futerfas, who also represents the town of Woodstock, said some information about the Zena plan has been shared with town officials, but he would neither confirm nor deny Lang’s involvement.

Lang and representatives for Paul Green’s Rock Academy did not return a reporter’s calls.

Price said the Woodstock Day School has no interest in relocating from its Glasco Turnpike site to the Zena building.

“The school has no interest in moving, so let me dismiss that right out of hand,” he said. “We have a 20-plus acre campus that suits us really well. The school is not contemplating moving in any way. We’ve invested heavily in the campus, we built a new building, we’re improving it on a daily basis.”

The bid papers submitted by Zena 4 Corners LLC show there a deposit of $46,300 was made with the proposal, that a $740,800 mortgage would be taken out for the purchase, and there would be $138,900 paid at closing for the Zena building.